Linux hardware vendor System76 has unveiled the first stable release of its COSMIC desktop environment, alongside the launch of Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS, which is based on the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS operating system series and powered by the Linux 6.17 kernel series.
Previously, Pop!_OS utilized a version of the COSMIC desktop that was built on the GNOME desktop environment. However, in an effort to enhance user experience, System76 opted to construct a completely new desktop environment from the ground up while preserving familiar aspects for ease of use. This iteration replaces various GNOME applications with new COSMIC applications, including COSMIC Files (a replacement for Nautilus), COSMIC Terminal (replacing GNOME Terminal), COSMIC Text Editor, and COSMIC Media Player (taking over from Totem).
Additionally, the Pop!_Shop graphical package manager has been substituted with the new COSMIC Store. The COSMIC environment also integrates a screenshot tool and a Welcome app to streamline the setup process of your Linux desktop experience.
The COSMIC Launcher in this new release aims to enhance app navigation and launching, equipped with features such as web search, a calculator, and file search. Furthermore, COSMIC supports various layouts (dual-panel and single-panel), rich workspaces, intuitive window tiling and stacking, multi-monitor configurations, and customizable theming options.
Carl Richell, CEO of System76, remarked, "This year, System76 turned twenty. For twenty years, we have shipped Linux computers. For seven years, we’ve built the Pop!_OS Linux distribution. Three years ago, it became clear we had reached the limit of our current potential and had to create something new. Today, we break through that limit with the release of Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS with the COSMIC desktop environment."
Importantly, COSMIC is not limited to Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS. It is also available for several other distributions including Arch Linux, openSUSE Tumbleweed, NixOS, and Fedora Linux, among others.
Under the hood, Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS includes the Linux kernel 6.17 and features the Mesa 25.1.5 open-source graphics stack. Users can download available live ISO images for both Intel/AMD and ARM64 architectures from the official System76 website.
For additional details, visit the official Pop!_OS website.